After undergoing fertility treatments, Connie Arnold gave birth to the quints in 1997. They captured headlines and hearts, being just the second set of quints in the state to survive -- and at the time -- the longest quint pregnancy in the nation at 34 weeks.

So what are they up to these days? WISN 12 News' Joyce Garbaciak has an exclusive special report.

At South Milwaukee High School, Principal Beth Kaminski saw something unusual on a class list.

"I noticed five of the same last names. I looked at the person I was talking to and I said, 'Are these all?' 'Yes, they're quints.' And I said, 'OK,'" Kaminiski said.

At South Milwaukee High School, you don't have to go too far to run into an Arnold quint.

"They're all different and unique. They each have different personalities. I think they add a lot to our building," Kaminiski said.

The quints that captured Milwaukee's heart 16 years ago are growing up.

Alyssa, Daniel, Natalie, Emily and Devin are high school sophomores who still like to hang out together and who can now appreciate their parents.

"I give them props for handling things the way they did," Emily said.

"People are always complaining about having kids and getting sleep-deprived with one kid, and then there's five of us," Devin said.

"I like baby-sit for people and even just watching one kid is like, hard. I couldn't imagine having five one age," Natalie said.

Mom Connie and dad Jeff had a system. Everything was color-coded and a fleet of volunteers helped the family through those first years.

"It's a wonderful group of people that we have. (I) couldn't ask for better," Connie said.

The generosity continued as contractors added on to the Arnold home for free, enlarging the house that held six kids because they already had 3-year-old Nathan when the quints were born.

But that togetherness can have its downside.

"People are always in your business," Alyssa said.

"It gets annoying at times," Daniel said.

"Why?" Garbaciak asked.

"Not enough bathrooms, especially with three girls," he said.

The years have brought challenges. Connie's medical condition of fibromyalgia means she can no longer work.

"So that was tough. (It's) still tough adjusting to not working," Connie said.

Jeff was just laid off from his job as a welder. They try not to worry, especially when it comes to the quints' desire to go to college.

"We're hoping they do real well and get some scholarships," Jeff said.

As they raise teenagers, they offer this advice: "Try to know who their friends are and who they're hanging around with," Jeff said, because they believe the people who surround you can define you.

"Look to see who your friends are and that will tell you who you are," Connie said.

They look back on 16 years with pride and joy and hope for more of the same.

While Wednesday is the quints' actual birthday, the family will host a party for family, friends and those all-important volunteers this weekend.

SWEET 16 -- TIMES FIVE! THE ARNOLD QUINTUPLETS OF SOUTH MILWAUKEE TURN 16 TODAY. AFTER UNDERGOING FERTILITY TREATMENTS, CONNIE ARNOLD GAVE BIRTH TO THE QUINTS IN 1997. THEY CAPTURED HEADLINES AND HEARTS -- BEING JUST THE SECOND SET OF QUINTS IN THE STATE TO SURVIVE -- AND -- AT THE TIME, THE LONGEST QUINT PREGNANCY IN THE NATION AT 34 WEEKS. SO -- WHAT ARE THEY UP TO THESE DAYS? WISN 12'S JOYCE GARBACIAK HAS THIS EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL REPORT. NS-BELL RINGS AT SOUTH MILWAUKEE HIGH SCHOOL NS-KIDS IN HALLWAY PRINCIPAL BETH KAMINSKI NS - LOCKER SLAMS SAW SOMETHING UNUSUAL ON A CLASS LIST. 2969 12:51:27 I NOTICED FIVE OF THE SAME LAST NAMES. I LOOKED AT THE PERSON I WAS TALKING TO AND I SAID ARE THESE ALL YES! THEY'RE QUINTS. AND I SAID OK! :08 STAND UP: 3014 13:40:29 HERE AT SOUTH MILWAUKEE HIGH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TOO FAR TO RUN INTO AN ARNOLD QUINT. FOR INSTANCE, HERE'S ONE NS-NATALIE'S FACE OVER NS 3009 "EXCELLENT ANSWER!" 3025 -"13:53:27 OH, AND HERE. 3017 - EMILY'S FACE OVER 13:46:54 WHY IS THAT EQUATION SET UP THAT WAY? 2984 - 13:10:24 AND HERE'S ANOTHER ONE. 2977 DEVIN'S FACE 13:03:00 3036 14:08:54 AND LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT HERE. 3030 14:01:19 NS - SPOONS ON BOWL 3040 -AND THERE'S ONE MORE HERE. 2969 12:51:54 THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE. THEY EACH HAVE DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES. THINK THEY ADD A LO R BUDG. THE QUINTS THAT PTE MILWAUKEE'S HEART 16 YEARS ORE OWING UP ALYSSA C AT 59 18:26:21 33 19:00:28 E'S NDERFUL. UD, BUT NDERFUL. NIEL C AT 5931 18:46:42 33 119:06 DANIEL IS RY SMART CANEHIM GOING R. TALIE C AT 5924 18:25:49 5933 19:01:28 TIE, E'S VERY OUTGOING EMILY PIC AT 5923 18:25:24 33 19:01:55 ELY IS A SWEETHEART.. AND DEVIN PIC AT 5930 5933 19:02:25 HE'S QUIET. MORE RESERVED. ARE HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORES WHO STILL LIKE TO HANG OUT TOGETHER NS-TRAMPOLINE.. .AND WHO CAN NOW APPRECIATE THEIR PARENTS. 5921 18:19:53 EMILY: I GIVE THEM PROPS FOR HANDLING THINGS THE WAY THEY DID. 5927 DEVIN: 18:38:11 PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING KIDS AND GETTING SLEEP- DEPRIVED WITH ONE KID. AND THEN THERE'S FIVE OF US! 5920 NATALIE: 18:27:27 I LIKE BABYSIT FOR PEOPLE AND EVEN JUST WATCHING ONE KID IS LIKE HARD. I COULDN'T IMAGINE HAVING FIVE ONE AGE. MOM CONNIE AND DAD JEFF HAD A SYSTEM. EVERYTHING WAS COLOR-CODED AND A FLEET OF VOLUNTEERS HELPED THE FAMILY THROUGH THOSE FIRST YEARS. 5933 18:59:32 CONNIE: IT'S A WONDERFUL GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE. COULDN'T ASK FOR BETTER. THE GENEROSITY CONTINUED - AS CONTRACTORS ADDED ON TO THE ARNOLD HOME FOR FREE. ENLARGING THE HOUSE THAT HELD SIX KIDS -- BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAD THREE- YEAR-OLD NATHAN WHEN THE QUINTS WERE BORN. 5933 19:06:22 WE DIDN'T GO ON A LOT OF PLAYDATES BECAUSE LORD KNOWS THERE WAS ENOUGH OF THEM TO PLAY TOGETHER! BUT THAT TOGETHERNESS CAN HAVE ITS DOWNSIDE. 5920 18:10:23 ALYSSA: PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS IN YOUR BUSINESS! 5927 18:34:55 DANIEL: IT GETS ANNOYING AT TIMES. WHY? NOT ENOUGH BATHROOMS. ESPECIALLY WITH THREE GIRLS! THE YEARS HAVE BROUGHT CHALLENGES. CONNIE'S MEDICAL CONDITION OF FIBROMYALGIA MEANS SHE CAN NO LONGER WORK. 5933 18:54:45 CONNIE: SO THAT WAS TOUGH. STILL TOUGH. ADJUSTING TO NOT WORKING. AND JEFF WAS JUST LAID OFF FROM HIS JOB AS A WELDER. 5933 18:53:29 WE MANAGE. WE DO WHAT WE GOT TO DO. WE CUT HERE. WE CUT THERE. KIDS MAY NOT LIKE IT ALL THE TIME, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO. THEY TRY NOT TO WORRY, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE QUINTS' DESIRE TO GO TO COLLEGE. 5933 18:54:03 WE'RE HOPING THEY DO REAL WELL AND GET SOME SCHOLARSHIPS. AS THEY RAISE TEENAGERS, THEY OFFER THIS ADVICE. 5933 19:05:49 JEFF: TRY TO KNOW WHO THEIR FRIENDS ARE AND WHO THEY'RE HANGING AROUND WITH. BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THE PEOPLE WHO SURROUND YOU CAN DEFINE YOU. 5933 19:05:57 CONNIE: LOOK TO SEE WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE AND THAT WILL TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE THEY LOOK BACK ON 16 YEARS WITH PRIDE AND JOY -- AND HOPE FOR MORE OF THE SAME. IN SOUTH MILWAUKEE, JG, WISN 12 NEWS. WHILE TODAY IS THE QUINTS' ACTUAL BIRTHDAY, THE FAMILY WILL HOST A PARTY FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS AND THOSE ALL-IMPORTANT